No airline “enhancement” jokes this time. Seriously. When an airline cuts your free meal and calls it progress, that’s one thing. What I’m about to describe isn’t that. I swear.

Why now?

Eighteen years. I’ve written this blog for eighteen years full time. It’s a passion project that weirdly enough, pays the mortgage. But the internet is a different beast these days. Search engines are hostile. AI is eating everything. Media is shifting toward video. It’s a rough macro environment.

I’m still bullish on writing. Long time horizon. But the miles and points blogosphere? It’s gotten stale. Very stale.

We’ve all applied for the same cards. The deals aren’t magic anymore. The content farm posts—the garbage—generate all the pageviews because that’s apparently what the algorithm wants. It’s easy to chase Google. I’ve done a poor job lately focusing on the community. My fault. My mom’s illness, her passing, then two little kids who drain your mental battery faster than a transatlantic flight… it stacks up. Perfectionism set in. I pushed new ideas aside, waiting for the “right time.”

There is no right time. So, here we are.

The goal is simple: community. Real connection. Not a faceless VC-owned mega-blog with 100 writers churning out SEO sludge. Just me. You. Let’s hold each other accountable.

Video. Ugh.

Everyone says video. Short form. Fast. I look at the current trend—the “I ate this $12k meal on a 16-hour flight” vlog, or the influencer faking teenage enthusiasm for something mundane—and it makes my soul ache.

I refuse to fake interest. Authenticity has to come first, or I won’t do it. But podcasts? Saturated market. Mid-life crisis adjacent. Not trying to become another old dude with a mic. Good shows exist (Airlines Confidential, The Air Show ). No need to duplicate them.

Traditional interviews are worse. Rehearsed. Dry. Regurgitated press releases. I’d rather watch CNBC earnings season.

So, what’s left?

Fireside chats.

Conversations. No agenda. No notes. Just talking to the fascinating, sometimes strange humans who actually run the airline industry. Not talking about Q3 earnings or a new loyalty tweak. I want their stories. How did they get here? What keeps them up at night?

Think Ben Smith at Air France-KLM. You know he’s an aviation geek. You probably don’t know the guy. I want to add that human element.

I haven’t pitched anyone yet. High risk. Zero bites is possible. But the wishlist includes:

  • Mark Nasr (Air Canada COO): Former mileage runner. Sharp. I want the M&P evolution take.
  • Patrick Quayle (United): How do you mathematically justify flying to Mongolia? What’s the loyalty program impact on route networks?
  • Akbar Al Baker: Qatar’s ex-CEO. What’s his read on the current chaos?
  • Carsten Spohr: The longest shot. But maybe Lufthansa’s CEO has a human side?
  • Tiffany Funk: Head of Flying Blue. Former colleague. Fresh perspective?
  • James Asquith (Global Airlines): Is he misunderstood or is Global actually viable? Debate worthy.
  • Tim Dunn: If he’s brave enough. We take the comment section fights and put them on screen. Fingers crossed for safety. 😉

The Mechanics

Here’s the rough draft:

  • Frequency: Every two weeks. Roughly. Guests are global. Timezones vary.
  • Length: ~30 minutes. No rambling. Respect everyone’s time.
  • Platform: YouTube primarily. Live or VOD.
  • Vibe: Unscripted. I’m not a TV host. I’m introverted. But I ask good questions. I won’t grill you. I’ll let you tell your story.
  • Follow-up: I’ll post the link ahead of time. You can submit questions. After the chat, I write a summary post. You can comment. It becomes a loop.

Why would anyone talk to me?

Two reasons. First: airline people love to talk. About planes. About themselves. Second: it’s actually good PR. Google your CEO. What comes up? Two-sentence quotes from press releases next to stock charts. Boring. A human conversation gives them depth. It makes them real. It helps me understand the world. Win-win.

Feedback needed. Now.

I need you to talk back. Please.

  1. Name the series. “OMAAT Chat” rhymes? Terrible. “OMAAT Live”? Generic. You better ideas. I have a prize. Useless points, maybe a shoutout.
  2. Interest level: Will you actually watch this?
  3. Cadence: Twice a month is right? Or too much? Not enough?
  4. Format ideas: What questions should I ask? What should I avoid?
  5. Platform: YouTube is fine, or should I stream on Facebook too? Link drop vs. native stream?
  6. Pitch yourself: Got a story? Work in aviation? Email [email protected].

I’ve waited long enough. The initiatives are coming. This video series is just the first piece. I promise persistence. If nobody talks to me, I’ll keep knocking.

See if you’re listening.

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